Railway-rail joint



Jun 24, 1930. w, MULLER 1,766,795

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT Filed Dec. 18, 1928 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cronies w. MULLER, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT This invention relates to railway rail joints comprising joint bars or fish plates as usually termed, which can be rolled principally of good quality steel, special steel and heat treat- 5 ed ifdesired to give'the bar a springing or tension quality.

WVhile the bars illustrated and described in this application appear somewhat similar to other joint bars already patented or in use, yet there is a considerable difference in design and purpose, and the way the bar functions at the joint, and the principle involved in the bars and combined parts included in this invention. l

The object of my invention is the production of a rail joint bar comprising members of special formation and arrangement,\vherein the'joint bars on their inner sides between the upper and lower portions are provided 29 with a receding or recessed surface, and are so made with a lower edge that runs parallel with the rails, closer to the web part of rail, and the upper part of the inside of the bar is further away from the web so as to form a wedge shaped space the space being wider at the top and narrower atthe bottom when the two bars are fitted against the rail sides. This is very important so that when the filler pieces are set in between the back of the bar and the web of the rail across the joint they will have a tendency to slip upwards and the barto slip downwards atall times when the bolts are tightened, and counteract the wheel load click as it passes over the joint. The filler piece may be set in between the back of the barand the web of the rails on the receding surface at the middle. portion of the length of the bar where the two rails come together. The filler piece laps over each end 0 ofthe meeting rails a short distance on each A a side of the joint, and when the ends of the jo intbar's,*wliich are resilient, are pulled in by the bolts they hug the filler piece more tightlyto the webs of the rails and prevent its displacement, and then when the railsare driven down by passing car wheels the joint will be prevented from dropping, and the blow will be distributed back through the 1 bars to the rails, where the bot-tom sides of ,1, the bars will rest more-firmly on top of the rail base and the grip of the bars at the joint and solid bearing given to the joint, will form a springing action or reflex action from the joint of the rail ends and the bolts are inserted and tightened to a pressure the middle portion of the bars will hold the joint tightly and solidily, but when the ends of the bars are drawn inward by the bolts there is a tendency to form a bow-shape in the bar and the ends of the bars will reflex inward and slide upward on the rail base, and at the same time hug the filler piece in the middle portion tighter and give a solid hearing at the joint for the wheel blow, and'at the same time form a resilient, springing or reflex action at the joint.

'Another object of thisinvention is to give at all times a hug joint or friction joint and a wedge action between the parts, which will keep the bolts and joint bars'tight at all times at the rail ends, which I have proven by experience, and which has been tested out on one of the foremost railroads.

Another object of this invention is to fashion and manufacture a bar difierent in shape, design and purpose, with the intention ofholding the joint by the special configuration of the bar in the manner set forthin this specification, and which will take care ofthe filler piece madeof various shapes and sizes to fitthe various type rails and bars between the back of bars and rails, and inserted at the middle portion of the bar between the-bar and the webs of therails at the joint of the rails, while theend' portions of the bar will be open and clear of the rail when the bolts are placed and first tightened. Another and important obj ect'of this invention is that by placing the fillerpiece of steel in back ofthe bar plate and against the rail webs, gives the rails av very firm but suflicient bearingat the type bar and against the web of the rail, or under the head of the rail or down on the flange. This is one of the principal objects I of my invention and I desire to claim the construction broadly onall the points pertaining to same.

Another object of my invention is the construction resulting from rolling the joint bars with their bottom portions thicker or closer to the web and the top portions of the bar thinner and with wider spacing at the top between the web of therail and the bar, so as to always form a wedge shaped space which is more eliicientin holding a joint, when the blow above is put upon it.

The above and other desired advantages are believed to result from the construction and arrangement of the elements of'this invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Y

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional View of a rail joint embodying-the invention, said. View being taken in the plane of the rail ends. 1 Figure 2 is a-similar view'of a modified form. V

Figure 3 is a similar view of still another modified form.

Figure t'is a similar View of a-furth'er modification.

Figure 5 is a similar view of still another modification.

Idigure 6 is a horizontal section of the meeting ends of two rails'with this invention applied thereto and showing position in which the bolts may be located to secure the bars and filler pieces throughthe rails. V 1

. Figure v7 is a side yiew of theltwo rail ends where they come together and the bar plate and filler piece as they sit into the rails at the joint.v '3 1 Throughout the description and drawings the same number is employed to refer-to the same part. ,f i Considering Figure 1, t he rail 1 has the I head 2 and base 3', and the web of the rail- 4 increases in thickness from the middle to the head andbase'. The joint bar '5 has the upper portion 6 slightly clearing the head as shown, and the lower portion 7 in inclinatory contact with base 3. The barfi5 has also a receding or recessed portion between the stated upper and lower portionsof the bar which is marked 7, in which is fitted 'the filler piece 8. 'It' will be noted that"the filler-piece 8 has diminished portions 9" at the top and 10 at the bottom and it is in contact with the head 2 by means of the extension 9 at the top as shown, and with base 3 of the rail at the bottom.

In Figure 2, the rail 11 is the same as before. The bar 12 has its upper portion 13 slightly clearing the under side of the head of the rail, and its lower portion 1 1 resting upon the flange of the rail. In Figure 2 the recess 15 on the inner side of the bar is angular, and the filler piece 16 is formed correspondingly. It is, however, held to be within the purview of this invention to make the receding surface curving if so desired. In Figure 2 the filler piecelG rests upon the flange or base of the. rail, and it has at the top the curved extension 16" against the head of the rail. In both the figures described the lower and outwardly extending portion or bottom edge portion of the bar in each'view ends at the edge of the rail flange.

In Figure 3 the rail 17 is the same as before. The joint bar 18 has itsupper portion 19 slightly clearing the head and lower portion 20 in inclinatory contact with the base of the rail, and between those portions of the bar is formed the inwardlycurving recess 21 constituting a seat for the filler piece 22 which [its the recess. It will be noted that the upper portion 23 of the filler piece is extended upwardly at 23 into contact with the under side of the head of the rail. It will be further observed that the base flange 2 1 of the bar 18 extends beyond the edge of the base of the rail leaving a space 25 providing for limited play of the bar. up or down or towards the rail flange. I i

I In Figure I the rail 26 is the same as before. The .bar 27 has its upper portion 28 slightly clearing the head, and lower portion 29 in inclinatory contact with the base of the rail, and'between those portions of the bar is the curving recess 30 occupied by the correspondingly shaped filler piece 31, which has the curved extension 31? between the upper portion 28 of the bar and the rail head 26. The lower part of the bar marked 32 is extended beyond the edge of the flange of the rail and a space is left at the edge-of the rail flange by reason of the formation of a curved cavity 33 in the under side of the extended base 32.

In Figure 5 the rail 34 is the sameas before. The bar 35 has its upper portion 36 slightly clearing the rail head'and its lower portion 37 in inclinatory contact with the base of the rail, and between those two portions ofthe bar is located the inwardly curving seat for the filler piece 38, the curving seat being marked 39. The filler piece '38 has the extension 38 between the bar 36 and the rail head.

In Figure 5 the base or lower portion of the bar 35' is given an extension 40 beyond the edgeof. the railflange, and that extension has a hp 41 projecting in the opposite direction to form a tie plate andadditional rail support at the joint, and engaging the under side of the flange of the rail. The recess 42 will be observed in the bar at the edge of the rail flange to allow for up or down or inward movement.

Figure 6 is introduced as an explanatory view to show a horizontal section of the parts as assembled. The meeting rails 43 and 44 have against the webs of the rails on opposite sides and across the joint the filler pieces 45 and 46, upon the outer sides of which are located the joint bars 47 and 48, the ends of the joint bars being connected and secured to the rails by means of the bolts 49 and 50.

It will be noted that the filler blocks are materially shorter than the angle bars and are positioned at the longitudinal centers of the latter, being in spanning relation to the meeting ends of adjacent rails. Thus a considerable portion of the angle bars extends beyond the ends of the fillers, these extending ends being in spaced relation to the rail webs by reason of the fillers and in spaced relation to the heads by reason of the filler extensions but in contact with the inclined upper faces of the rail bases. The fillers do not fit either the rail webs or the angles bars with that nicety of contact which precludes any movement whatever. While the fit is snug, there is of course some relative movement possible under a severe blow such as is delivered by the wheels of a passing train. By the provision of the fillers at the meeting ends of the rails, they, together with the angle bars form a large bulk of metal which effectively resists the impact of the car wheels, but, when the wheels pass over the joint, the tendency is to depress the one rail end which, by reason of the cross-sectionally tapering shape of the webs, causes a camming action between the web of the adjacent rail end and the fillers and tends to spread the fillers apart, the lower edges of the fillers being spaced from the rail bases, so as to permit relative movement of the rails and fillers. Also the inclined planes of contact between the fillers and the angle bars tends to separate the latter at the middle, but these bars being anchored adjacent their ends by the attaching bolts, the bars may not spread at the ends and so the result of the wheel impact is a bowing longitudinally of the bars. The bars having inclined planes of contact with the rail bases, the bowing tends to force the extremities inwardly and the bowing thus results in a. camming action between the bars and the rail bases tending to raise the extremities of the bars. The bars being resilient, this tendency to elevate the ends re;

sults in an increased tendency to resist the depression of the rail, so that a resiliency is given to the joint as a whole which effectively maintains the normal positions of the parts in practice.

Having now described this invention and bars from the Webs and heads of the rails,

the rails having their webs increasing in thickness toward the heads and bases of the rails, the filler pieces having surfaces corresponding to the surfaces of the rail webs and in contact with the latter, the lower edges of the filler pieces being spaced from the rail bases to permit relative movement of the former and the rails.

2. A rail joint having, in combination with railway rails, joint bars arranged on opposite sides of the meeting ends of said rails, said bars have resilient ends and bolts for securing the same to the rails, filler pieces shorter than the bars and spanning the rail ends and spacing the bars from the webs and heads of the rails, the rails having their webs increasing in thickness towards the heads and bases thereof and the filler pieces having corresponding surfaces in contact with the webs and having their lower edges spaced from the I rail bases to permit relative sliding movement between the filler pieces and rails.

3. A rail joint having, in combination with railway rails, joint bars arranged on opposite sides of the meeting ends of the rails, bolts 1 securing'said bars to the rails, the bars being in contact with the flanges of the rails and having receding portions facing the rail webs, filler pieces shorter than the bars and seated in said receding portions in spanning relation to the rail ends, the filler pieces spacing the bars from the heads and webs of the rails and being spaced from the rail bases, the filler pieces and the rail webs having 00- operating camming surfaces.

4:. A rail joint having, in combination with railway rails, joint bars arranged on opposite sides of the meeting ends of the rails, said bars having resilient ends, bolts for securing the bars to the rails, said bars being arranged in contact with the flanges of the rails and having receding portions facing the rail webs, filler pieces shorter than the bars and seated in the receding portions and spanning the rail ends, the filler pieces spaciil ing the bars from the heads and bases of the rail and having their lower edges spaced from the rail bases, the filler pieces and the rail webs having co-operating camming surfaces.

5. In combination with the meeting ends of railroad rails, members spanning said connected ends and having terminal connections with the rails, and filler pieces shorter than sa1d members and interposed between the latter and the connecting ends of the rails, said filler pieces having their lower edges spaced from the rail bases and the rail webs and said filler pieces having co-operating camming surfaces.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE "W. MULLER. 

